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The Jaina Antiquary
[Vol. XVII
and self realisation, Those who while away their time in useless gossips, should take recourse to swadhayaya to change their habits. Swadhaya in this age is a great penance because, due to constant contemplation over spiritualistic words and meanings, dirty ideas are checked and pious ones come in.
Swadhayaya is a good method for peace of the soul. Nirjara (i. e. dimunition) of Karmas is attained by it. The darkness of Mithyatwa is washed away from the soul with the achievement of Samyaktwa. Swadhyaya is a means to control the will. It is rather beyond one's power to narrate all the advantages of Swadhayaya.
Ahimsa (Non-violence).
The presence of Rag-Dwesh (anger, passion etc.) in the heart is violence. Those who do not trouble any creature with their thought, word and action, and preserve peace, are non-violent. The power of the Non-violent is limitless. Brave alone can be non-violent. In fact, Ahimsa Dharma is the religion of Kshatriyas. It teaches the lesson of chivalry. A non-violent is a brave man. No temptation of the world can deviate him. Violence is beastly and non-violence is a devine power. The lesson of humanity can be learnt from Ahimsa.
A non-violent has first to purify himself and has to remove the inner defects. Then alone he can observe Ahimsa. Complete self purification can only to achieved through Ahimsa.
Ahimsa is such a power whose shelter children, men and women young and old can seek. The entire world can be made happy only by Ahimsa Dharma. By observing Ahimsa, strength is gained by which the strongest opposers can be faced.
Kindness.
There is no religion like kindness. Where there is no kindness, there is no humanity. The touchstone of humanity is kind feeling. He can be called kind, whose heart is moved to see others in trouble, and overflows with sympathies. Kindness is of eight types, Drabya Daya, Bhawa Daya, Sawa-Daya, Pur-Daya, Anubandh Daya, VyavharDaya, and Nishchaya Daya. We may be at present proud of showing kindness, to others, but we are not at all kind upon ourselves. Kashayas and Vikaras, which are detrimental to our soul, are being